Faculty Detail   
Name DANIEL J TYRRELL
  
Campus Address PBMR 504 Zip 0000
Phone  (205) 975-0088
E-mail  dtyrrell@uab.edu
Other websites Tyrrell Lab
Scholars
    

Faculty Appointment(s)
Appointment Type Department Division Rank
Primary  Joint Pathology  Molecular & Cellular Pathology Assistant Professor
Secondary  Med-Gerontology/Geriatrics/Palliative Care  Med-Gerontology/Geriatrics/Palliative Care Assistant Professor
Center  Comprehensive Neuroscience Center  Comprehensive Neuroscience Center Assistant Professor
Center  Ctr for Clinical & Translational Sci  Ctr for Clinical & Translational Sci Assistant Professor
Center  Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute  Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute Assistant Professor
Center  UAB Immunology Institute  UAB Immunology Institute Assistant Professor

Biographical Sketch 
My laboratory is interested in understanding how the blood-brain barrier changes during aging. Breakdown of the blood-brain-barrier impairs leads to a poor neurovascular microenvironment and ultimately impairs cognitive function and can contribute to neurodegeneration. We aim to uncover mechanisms of vascular aging that may contribute to blood-brain barrier breakdown. Much of our previous findings have been related to alteration in mitochondrial function and inflammation within cerebrovascular vessels.

We are also interested in exploring how CD8 T cells may take advantage of the leakier blood-brain-barrier with aging to infiltrate the brain and contribute to neurodegeneration. T cell populations change dramatically during aging with a significant reduction in naive T cell output due to age-associated thymic involution. Some populations of effector and memory T cells also increase with aging. Many of these populations also demonstrate greater levels of exhaustion and senescence with aging. Taken together, the age-associated changes in CD8 T cells appear to contribute to a variety of diseases. We are interested in exploring their role in neurodegenerative diseases.

We primarily use murine models along with genetic and surgical manipulations. The major experiments we perform in the laboratory are immunohistochemistry, histology, flow cytometry, immunoblot, and single-cell RNA sequencing approaches.

Research/Clinical Interest
Title
Description
My laboratory is interested in understanding how the blood-brain barrier changes during aging. Breakdown of the blood-brain-barrier impairs leads to a poor neurovascular microenvironment and ultimately impairs cognitive function and can contribute to neurodegeneration. We aim to uncover mechanisms of vascular aging that may contribute to blood-brain barrier breakdown. Much of our previous findings have been related to alteration in mitochondrial function and inflammation within cerebrovascular vessels. We are also interested in exploring how CD8 T cells may take advantage of the leakier blood-brain-barrier with aging to infiltrate the brain and contribute to neurodegeneration. T cell populations change dramatically during aging with a significant reduction in naive T cell output due to age-associated thymic involution. Some populations of effector and memory T cells also increase with aging. Many of these populations also demonstrate greater levels of exhaustion and senescence with aging. Taken together, the age-associated changes in CD8 T cells appear to contribute to a variety of diseases. We are interested in exploring their role in neurodegenerative diseases. We primarily use murine models along with genetic and surgical manipulations. The major experiments we perform in the laboratory are immunohistochemistry, histology, flow cytometry, immunoblot, and single-cell RNA sequencing approaches.